The Potentials
by JH Sounds
Summary: The untold story about the orphans and how they cope with life outside of the Matrix.
1. Designation

_Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of any copyrighted material._

THE POTENTIALS

Chapter 1: Designation.

"I've never seen this happen before," said Maggie, staring at the boy's scalp.

"I have," said Roland. "It's a general case of DNA misplacement. The machines simply neglected to give him a gene to grow hair."

"But after thorough stimulation, sir, we should at least have _some_ type of growth."

He looked down at the boy. "Doesn't really matter. He probably likes it that way."

The child's eyes were beginning to focus under the oppressive white lights as the captain and nurse continued to rehabilitate him. The last thing he could remember was the guiding hand of the man called Neo ushering him into a formidable yet welcoming darkness. He was no longer in a world he knew.

"What's this kid's name, anyway?" asked the captain.

She checked her file. "Lespüne, sir. Gabriel R."

Roland smiled faintly. "Well, 'Spoony', welcome to the real world."

"Sir, I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearing that." She began readying the hypodermic needle.

"Just call me if there's any trouble, okay?" and he left the room.

Maggie injected the sedative, and all became dark.

The next few moments were a blur as the crew continued the recovering process. Patches of light danced in the child's head, limbs moved involuntarily, and distorted faces appeared and faded in the void. Somewhere, out of all this madness, came a voice.

"I know you've made it out. I can feel you, now. I know you are afraid, but try not to be. These are your friends. Let them help."

His mind flashed back to an apartment in a city slum. He was watching a warped image on a television screen, and the sides of room were out of focus. His hand reached out to touch the glass, but it bent inward like jelly, resisting him. The tips of his fingers pushed forward, straining to feel the surface of it. But the screen rippled open, revealing an ever expanding abyss...

"She is ready to see you now," spoke someone he recognized. The lady lead him to the kitchen, where a aged woman sat waiting. "Go on, sit down," she said.

"Are you the one who is to foretell my destiny?" he asked.

"I'm only a guide, son. I can make the path clear. It's up to you to see the turns you will take."

"Then what can you tell me?"

"That your journey has yet to begin. I see that you are aware of the circumstances that lie around you. You know full well that the boundaries of this world exist only in here." Her wrinkled finger touched his forehead.

"What can I do?"

"All that you must. Close you eyes and accept the truth."

He did so, and let the blankness overtake him. The boy no longer felt a sense of time, space or emotion. A warm glow filled the vast corners of his fragile soul. He was beginning to reach enlightenment.

Then the child opened his eyes.

He faced a cold interior filled with metallic furnishings, garnished with hemp tethers. Above his head hung a schematic featuring a vehicle of some sort. Feeling slightly queasy, he had to sit up in his cot to avoid gagging. So this was the real world.

The door suddenly opened, and Roland stepped in. "Feeling all right?"

His mouth felt dry. "Y--yes..."

"Well, good. You wouldn't believe how some of the other kids are taking this."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

He let out a sigh. "One of the girls kept throwing utensils at Maggie, and another just screamed and screamed until she couldn't take it."

His jaw tightened. "How terrible."

The captain sat on the cot next to him. "Usually, a child's mind will adapt quickly to a changing reality. It's just part of growing up, which is why we don't free a person past a certain age. But in this case..." He shook his head.

The boy raised an eyebrow. "You must be wondering why I haven't acted in a similar fashion."

"No, not really. I know you're very bright, that you see things the others don't." He chuckled. "It's no wonder Morpheus took a liking to you."

"But... I wasn't the one he was searching for."

"Hm. I suppose not. So you're not 'the One'. That doesn't mean you aren't special, does it?"

"You have a point." The boy turned to the drawing on the wall. "What is that?"

"It's the Hammer, which is the hovercraft you're sitting in right now. Would you like to take a look around?"

"Yes, please."

They got out and climbed up to the main deck, where the crew resided. "You've met Maggie," said Roland. "Here's some of the others you may not know: Colt, AK, Mauser..."

The names faded into a dull hum as the boy beheld his surroundings. Gargantuan tentacles of iron and steel branched out from the top of the vessel and downward onto the floor. Flat panel monitors hung from cranes built into the ceiling, displaying a strange set of green characters that scrolled from top to bottom in a bizarre pattern.

"...our systems operator. Are you listening?"

The child nodded.

"So you understand why we can have you jack in yet?" he asked.

"Erm... no."

The captain rubbed his chin in frustration. "I told you how the other kids reacted when they were taken out of their virtual world. I don't think your mind is ready to take another shift just yet."

"I disagree."

Two of the crewmen chortled before being silenced by their commanding officer. "I don't care if you disagree. You're not going in, got that? Not even a training simulation."

"Yes." The boy understood.

"Right." He looked to the crew. "I want us taken out of broadcast depth immediately. We're heading back to Zion to drop off the orphans." He walked off.

"But, we never got the kid's name," one of them insisted.

Roland was already halfway though the door.

"Call him Gabriel!"


	2. The Nursery

Chapter 2: The Nursery.

Gabriel shifted uneasily in his seat while the Hammer made its way toward the last human city. Tunnels of hazy blue shifted past the corners of the windshield at dizzying speed.

"A real trip, isn't it?" asked AK as he entered the cockpit with the rest of the crew. "I remember the first time I saw it, too."

"Just get to your station," Roland ordered.

"Yes, sir." He plopped onto his seat.

"How much longer will it take until we arrive?" the boy questioned.

"I can give you an estimate in just a few seconds." AK punched a number of keys, and a series of symbols appeared on a monitor. "Hmm… According to this readout, we should get there in about--"

"We read you," spoke the gate operator from a speaker. "You are clear to gate two."

Colt and Mauser were in hysterics. The captain let their laughs burn out rather than quieting them himself.

"You couldn't tell me you already made contact, huh?" said AK, lowering his head slightly in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry," said Gabriel. "I shouldn't have asked again."

Soon after, the Hammer landed in the dock, and the crew exited.

"Hurry children," said Mauser, leading the pack. "Don't you all want to meet the other kids?"

"No!" said a girl, tossing a bracelet at him.

"Hey, hey. I said you could keep that only if you didn't throw it at people." The crewman placed it back on her wrist. "It belonged to my mother. I thought it would calm you down."

"Guess you thought wrong," said Colt, bringing up the rear. "Come on folks, let's move!"

"I'll go and get these kids registered," said Roland. "You both will take them over to the nursery."

"Agreed, sir," said the crewmen.

"Oh," said the captain, forgetting. "At ease." He walked away.

The group was led down a corridor into a vast, awe-inspiring space. Looming iron arches held up the walkway that was suspended over the city. The children couldn't help but gasp as they took in all the sights.

"Be it ever so humble," said Colt.

The nursery door opened. "Oh hello," said Cas, welcoming the group. "I wasn't expecting you all so soon."

Gabriel looked around. A group of youths sat on knitted cushions lining the floor. Handmade dolls and other bits of bric-a-brac were placed on low shelves on the far wall.

"Hope we didn't miss Story Time," said Mauser with a smile.

"No, you just made it," she said. "Please, come in."

The newcomers eyed the other children as they took their seats. Mauser leaned against the wall, and Colt felt the sudden urge to leave.

Cas returned to her center cushion. "Before we begin, I'd like our new ones to introduce themselves, starting with..." She pointed at the girl. "How about you?"

She said nothing.

"Come on. You were given a name, weren't you?"

"Her name was Samantha," said the crewman, trying to help.

"Thank you, Mauser. But I would like the children to answer for themselves." She looked back to the girl. "Samantha, is it? Such a pretty name. What's your name, little boy?"

"Gabriel," he said.

"Another pretty name." She continued with the rest of the kids:

"Pablo."

"Sven."

"Christina."

"Eiko."

"See, wasn't that wonderful?" said Cas. She lifted a cloth-bound picture book. "The story I'm going to read to you now is called 'The Little Engine That Could'."

Mauser scoffed. "Couldn't you read one that wasn't conjured up by the machines?" he suggested.

She smiled. "I suppose you're right. Let's try this one." She selected another story. "This is a good one: 'Caterpillar'."

The kids leaned in close as she began to describe the tale of a creature that lived under a desolate sky, with little or no greenery to be found.

Cas continued by telling how the caterpillar journeyed to a light off in the horizon, and how it contended with the harsh climate. She showed them the illustrations.

The children were amazed.

Finally, the story ended with the creation of a cocoon and the birth of a butterfly, flying towards the ominous clouds to freedom.

"That's always been my favorite," said the crewman.

A doll was suddenly thrown across the room.

"Samantha!" yelled Cas. "Why did you do that?"

She said nothing.

"Hold on, now. We can't have children who refuse to speak," she insisted. "I'm just going to have to wait here until you do."

After a while, the girl gave in. "I... I can't make it fly!"

All of the children except the newcomers laughed.

"I'm sorry," said Cas. "You can't do that here."

"Why not?" pouted Samantha.

She tried to explain. "In this world, you can't control everything you see. It just doesn't work that way here."

"Then I want to go back!" she demanded.

"You don't mean that. You're afraid, that's all. Think about the story I just told you: don't you think the caterpillar was scared, too?"

She nodded.

"But wasn't he better off as a butterfly?"

The girl thought about this. "I.. I don't know."

"Oh, I think you do. Change is something we all go through. It's rough, I know. But it's always part of a greater plan."

Mauser looked at Cas with concern.

"We just don't realize it yet," she concluded.

Moments later, the captain returned with AK and Colt. "All right," said Roland. "Did we all get to know each other?"

"Yes," said Gabriel and the rest.

"You all must be hungry," said AK. "The cafeteria is ready, if you like to eat."

The group got up and followed the three out of the nursery, leaving the two who were left to discuss.


	3. Cafeteria

Chapter 3: Cafeteria.

Eiko moved her knight in. "Check."

"Oh," said Sven, looking at the pieces. "W--What does that mean?"

Several seconds went by. "Never mind," she said finally.

The two had succeeded in sneaking out a crude chessboard from the nursery during Mauser and Cas's intimate chat. But Eiko had suddenly realized that none of the other children were familiar with the game. This irritated her.

"I guess we better get back to eating," suggested Sven, turning away from the board. Her blonde hair, once long and elegant, now came out in a short fringe.

Eiko looked to her bowl. "Is this even food?" She stirred the goop around with her finger. "It looks like mucus!" She put it to her lips. "Sure tastes like it, too."

"Colt said it was protein," said Sven. "Something your body needs."

"I know perfectly well what 'protein' means, thank you." She pushed the bowl aside. "How am I supposed to even eat this stuff without a spoon?"

"There are no _utensils_," said Gabriel. "Or rather, they haven't enough for us right now."

"Well, I think they should have planned ahead," said Eiko.

Meanwhile, at the far end of the table, Sam and Christie held up their bowls, facing each other. "On the count of three," said Sam, raising her bowl to eye level. "One, Two..."

The both of them let go of the meals, and they instantly fell onto the table.

"Hey!" said Pablo, peering from behind his book. "You got slime all over 'The Little Engine', man."

Sam wiped some of it of the cover. "Sorry, we were just testing something."

"Did you see that?" said Christie, distracted. "Mine was in the air for a second!"

"Really?" said Sam. "Let's try it again."

"Not if I can help it," said AK, entering the cafeteria with a sack over his shoulder. "You're wasting valuable sustenance."

Eiko began to gag uncontrollably.

AK went over to her, worried. "Having trouble eating this stuff?" He reached into his sack and pulled out a chunk of bread. "I was gonna save it for later, but I guess you need it more than I do."

She took it and bit down.

"See? Feeling better already. How about you?"

"I'm fasting," said Gabriel.

"Oh," said AK. "That a religious thing? Well, all right." He walked off to a distant corner of the room and sat down.

Eiko smiled behind her stale patch of wheat.

Sven leaned in close. "You weren't really sick, were you?" she whispered.

The girl giggled lightly.

Colt suddenly came in. "Whew, sorry I'm late. Hope the kids didn't give you a rough time."

AK looked at the children, watching their faces for any signs of betrayal. "No, they've been fine for the whole hour I've been here watching them," he looked back to Eiko. "I even gave that little Asian girl over there something to help digest this muck."

"Asian?" said Colt. "Technically, she's not from Asia."

"Yeah, yeah..." He got up. "I'll go find out where these kids are going to sleep tonight." He left.

Sven seemed confused. "What did you mean when you said she's not Asian?"

Colt was surprised by her reaction. "Er... well, you were all created in the same place, the same piece of land."

"But we look different," said Gabriel.

"Yeah. You're each made of different, er, stuff. But you're children of Africa, in a sense. We all are."

Eiko finished her bread. "Is there any water?"

The crewman peered over the table. "AK didn't get any for you? Well I'll be."

Christie felt the sudden urge to speak. "Sir, can I ask a question?"

"Go right ahead."

She rubbed her elbow. "The story the lady told us said there are no plants around anymore. Is that true?"

"Unfortunately, it is. Leaves can't grow without sunlight."

"Then where did the other man get bread?" she asked.

Colt grinned. "Heh, that. It's a famous story, actually. There was once a bunch of rebels that managed to get onto the surface with ultraviolet lamps -- er, bulbs that make 'fake' sunlight -- and cultivated the soil, growing wheat. We still live off of that supply today."

Sven grew curious. "Whatever happened to those rebels?"

The crewman rubbed his skull. "Unfortunately, on one of their shifts, they were attacked by -- bad creatures."

Sven gasped. "Will they ever attack us?"

Colt laughed. "No, no. We're deep underground, in a heavily reinforced and armed dwelling. Those evil things would never reach us."

The girl acknowledged what he said, though she wasn't convinced.

"What's 'cultivate'?" asked the boy in the back.

"Oh, that means--" He looked to Pablo. "Wait a second -- where'd you get that book?"

"I--I found it," he said.

Colt sauntered over and took it back. "I bet Cas is going nuts trying to find this thing." He pressed his finger against the cloth. "Did you get food on it?"

"I... spilled some."

"Jesus. This thing's older than me!" He turned the book over in his hands. "You people are going to have to be monitored more closely. We can't have people stealing priceless antiques when no one's looking."

AK stepped in. "Is everything all right? It sounded like someone was shouting."

"Oh, it's ok. It's just that..." Colt showed him the book.

"_That's_ what you were yelling about? The single-celled solution will come off easily with a little rock salt and water."

"If you say so," said the crewman.

AK composed himself. "Now, if you kids are finished with your meals, I'd like to show you all to your sleeping quarters."

Gabriel sighed. The last thing he needed was more sleep.


	4. Nightfall

Chapter 4: Nightfall.

As Morpheus uttered his end-of-day prayers at the upper platforms of the city, Gabriel contemplated the whole of his existence in the lower floors. The lights went out in rows from top to bottom of the city, finally darkening his face at the end of the sequence.

"I have had a dream," Gabriel began. "I was in an exhibit hall of some sort, and on display were strange monsters of dark metal. Suddenly, these beings came to life, attacking innocent bystanders in the artificial world I was once a part of. Did any of that really happen?"

There was a man standing next to him. The man who was destined to be the savior of worlds both real and unreal. The man called Neo.

"I think that's for you to decide," he said.

"Yes. I suppose so," said Gabriel.

"Are you feeling all right?"

He sighed. "That's all anyone ever asks me. I'm starting not to like it."

"Is that because you're still not?"

Gabriel smiled.

Neo resumed. "You know, I never thanked you for what you taught me."

The boy seemed flummoxed. "I don't..."

"You helped me understand that it was my mind that warped and changed in the dream world -- not the objects around me."

"I... wasn't showing you anything you didn't already know."

"Well, maybe I _did_ know. But it took someone like you to help bring it out." He extended his hand. "Thank you."

He shook it. "You don't need to thank me. I should be thanking _you_. It was you who guided me into this world."

Neo beamed. "I wasn't showing you anything you didn't already know."

Gabriel could help but smile again.

Footsteps approached from behind. "What are you all smiling about?"

They both turned to see both the operator and gunman of the Logos trudging up the path, each carrying large canisters of water.

"Where are you going with all of that?" asked Neo.

"Niobe's quarters," said Ghost. "She wants a bath."

"Would ya shush?" said Sparks. "Just because he's 'The Savior' doesn't mean he has to know everything that goes on behind closed doors!"

"I still believe the truth is much more concise," Ghost argued.

The operator let his canisters hit the floor with a hard THUNK. "Yeah... You know what I think? I think you just wanna hurry over to Niobe so you can dry her off when she's done."

Gabriel's eyes bulged.

"The child doesn't need to hear this," Neo insisted.

"Oh, come on," said Sparks. "How old is he, anyway? Eight? I've heard worse stuff when I was five."

"That doesn't give you the right," said Ghost.

The operator turned back to him. "Oh, and what gives you the rare and honorable privilege to stare at Niobe's naked butt?"

"I don't stare," he said calmly, "and I don't indulge in sexual thoughts. The female body is a vessel that commands the utmost respect and authority."

Sparks scoffed. "Course, course. I suppose you pray every night for her health and well-being since her back-thing from the incident."

"If you're referring to the captain's mild spinal injury after the sentinel ambush years ago, then yes."

The operator looked to Gabriel. "I expressly told her not to take the mechanical line to avoid the squiddies, but did she listen to me?"

"If she did listen to you, we'd all be dead now," said Ghost.

"So because of that heroic decision, you get to help her towel off. How convenient."

Neo snickered to himself.

Sparks picked up his canisters. "Oh, aha ha ha. Don't get me started on these jugs we have to sacrifice over to her." He frowned as he adjusted them on his shoulders.

"It was a simple choice," said Ghost. "Either we give over our combined week's worth of water to her, or we climb up to the surface with buckets."

"You forgot the third choice," said the operator. "We find out what the hell is wrong with the filtration system."

Gabriel tugged at Neo's sleeve. "What are they talking about?"

"The filtration system, you mean? That's how Zion's water supply is recycled. The foundry's been working non-stop to get it repaired. I've never actually been to the place, though."

"Can I see it?" the boy asked.

"No, you cant," said Sparks. "Because no one is allowed in there anymore."

"He's right," said Ghost. "If people found out that their supply was compromised, it could cause mass panic."

"That's not what anyone wants," said Gabriel, understanding. He watch the crewmen as they continued their haul over to the footpath.

Somewhere in the distance, they could hear a girl screaming.

"Who was that?" Neo asked.

Gabriel knew. "I have to go now." He strolled off into the darkness. Before he knew it, he had reached the supply room. He knocked. "I know someone is in there."

"Go away!" said the girl behind the door.

"You can't stay in that confined space forever." He let the last few words flutter out of his mouth, surprising himself.

The girl came out of the room. It was Christina.

"I see you've changed your mind," he said. "May I ask what is wrong?"

She turned away. "I wanna be with my mom."

Neo caught up with them. "Phew, I thought I'd lost you. What's going on?"

"She wants to be with her mother."

"But she's an orphan."

"I'm not an orphan," she maintained. "I still have a mother."

"Your mother wasn't real," Neo insisted. "Every Potential is an orphan, including me."

"No!" she cried. "I don't believe you!"

Neo looked sorrowful. "She was a projection, something there to help you grow. My parents were the same way. I'll never forget the day I found out about them. It hurt so much."

Tears welled up inside her. She knew he was right.

"But that's how you know you're human."

Christie wept in the savior's arms, her sobs fading into the night.


	5. Dreams

Chapter 5: Dreams.

"Open your eyes," said the Oracle.

Gabriel did so.

He was in back in her apartment, sitting opposite her in the kitchen. The soft sounds of classic Jazz gently drifted into the room, and the smell of browning cookies filled the air.

"So," she spoke, "what did you see?"

"The truth," said Gabriel. "Just like you said."

She smiled. "You saw everything?"

"No. But I saw _something_."

"Ah, yes. I expected as much."

He looked down. "Is that because I'm not the savior?"

The woman tapped her pack of cigarettes on the top of the table. "You're not as determined as he will be, perhaps. But I believe that both of you share a common path."

"I certainly do not."

She laughed. "Of course you don't. Each person makes their own path, right?"

He said nothing.

"All right, I've helped you enough. Chalice?"

The woman whom had shown him to the kitchen came in. "Yes, Oracle?"

"Take him back to the waiting room with the other Potentials."

Chalice grabbed Gabriel's shoulder.

"Oh," said the Oracle, almost forgetting. "You can open your eyes, now."

"But... I've already opened them," he said, confused.

"I mean for real."

So he did.

Gabriel suddenly found himself staring at a bunk above him. He and the other boys were sent to a converted artillery bunker to sleep for the night, but how he had actually gotten in the bed seemed a mystery to him.

"Feeling better?" asked what sounded like the voice of Pablo.

He looked across to the beds against the wall. It _was_ him. "What happened to me?" asked Gabriel.

Pablo shrugged his left shoulder as he leaned against his pillow. "They said you passed out or something. It's probably because you don't eat."

The boy sat up. "I need to fast," he explained. "It helps clear my mind."

"Then I think you should do something besides starve yourself, man." Pablo reclined onto his back, crossing his fingers. "Like, read a book."

"Books do the exact opposite," he said. "They fill the mind with thoughts and ideas."

"I don't know about that, but--" His head turned toward him. "That 'Little Engine' book is inspiring. Y'know?"

"I don't need inspiration right now," said Gabriel as he stood from his bed.

He could see that the beds around him were about three bunks high, and there were about seven other beds in the room. Some were draped over with blankets, while other were obscured by large, non-functional armatures of an unknown design. A door stood perpendicular to his and the other's bed.

"Hey, where are you going!" said Pablo, watching Gabriel get up and leave.

"Please, keep your voice down." The boy quickly shuffled over to door. "I need to walk for a bit. Please don't tell anyone I'm gone -- I'll be back."

"Yeah," said Pablo. "When you black out again."

He stepped out onto the hall. It was much darker then he remembered; perhaps an unnoticeable tertiary lighting source had dimmed while he was unconscious. After a while of groping through the darkness, he came upon a vertical sliver of illumination that immediately caught his attention.

He heard a woman speaking. "How long has it been, since the incident?" she asked. "Four, maybe five months?"

Another woman spoke. "Four months, 28 days. I know, I'm crazy -- it's way too soon to start seeing new people." A sob escaped her throat. "But I've known Mauser _longer_ than Dozer. I can't help but think that if I--"

"If you chose Mauser, you wouldn't sitting here like you are now?" she guessed. "Cas, you're tearing yourself apart thinking about this."

"But, Zee--!"

"Listen. Dozer was my very best friend, someone who was sensitive, caring and honest."

"He wasn't the best cook, though," said Cas, managing a small grin from behind the tears.

Zee gave a strained half-smile. "No, he wasn't. Don't think for a moment that he picked that up from me, though."

Gabriel leaned closer to the door, peering in. He could see Cas holding a doll, but wasn't able to make out the exact details of it.

"Why do you still carry that?" asked Zee.

"It reminds me of him," she said and held it up. Based on what Gabriel could now see, it did a look a bit like many of the crewmen he had seen. "Would you believe it? A little girl just threw this across the room and I -- I almost lost it." She handed it over to her. "Take this. I don't ever want to see it again."

"Okay," she said, squeezing it lightly. "So, what are you going to say to Mauser tomorrow?"

"Everything."

The doll nearly dropped from Zee's hands. "_Everything_?"

"Yes."

"What do you think he'll say when he hears that?"

"He'll say what he's always wanted to say -- from the moment we first laid eyes on each other." She looked to the copy of 'Butterfly' that Dozer once hand-made for her. "That he loves me as much as I love him."

The child backed away from the room, knowing he had just heard a conversation he wasn't privy to hear. Something gnawed at his gut, but it wasn't hunger. Stepping off into the walkway, he let the darkness wash over his eyes, blanketing his mind. For a second, he could swear his feet had left the ground.

Then he realized that they had. He was blacking out.

A moment later, he felt his body being lifted by two lean arms. He could sense that the carrier's legs were trembling, as if the person hadn't gotten the hang of using them just yet.

"Ungh!" the young man grunted. He brought Gabriel back to the sleeping space he had left earlier, and propped him against the wall. "Can you stand?"

Gabriel squinted through heavy lids. "I think so. Who are you?"

"That's not important now. I need you to go back to bed, before anyone sees us. Do you understand?"

He nodded.

"I hear they might let you try the training program in the morning. You wouldn't want to ruin that by getting caught outside your room during shutdown hours, would you?"

"No."

"Well... go on, then."

The child entered the room. Inside, Pablo sat on his bed with a troubled look on his face.

"I... I was right, wasn't I?"


	6. The Archive

**Chapter 6: The Archive.**

"Hey, spoon boy!" shouted AK. "Are you all rested up?"

Gabriel sat up from the bed, alarmed. The looked for Pablo, but he was already gone. "W--What did you call me?"

"You're name's Lespüne, right? I saw it on the Newcomers list."

"Y--yes." He gave a dry, hacking cough.

AK patted his back. "Geez, are you all right?"

Gabriel frowned. "Why does everyone keep asking me that?" He muttered.

Roland stood right behind the operator. "AK, what are you doing? We're due to send in more pod-borns, and I told everyone to wait outside the ship until I came."

"Sorry, sir," said AK. "But I wanted to show Spoony here something before we left. I guess I just couldn't get him to wake early enough."

"'Spoony'?" said Roland. "That's the alias you're giving him?" He turned to Gabriel. "Heh. I think I called him that, too. You know, it kinda fits him."

"I was already given a name by my creators," said Gabriel, feeling a bit agitated.

"Who?" said AK. "Your parents?"

"The _machines_," corrected the child. "Without them, I would not exist."

"Well, that's certainly a way of putting it," said the captain. "AK, the Hammer has only 40 or so minutes to go until it's fully recharged. I expect you to be back before then."

"Of course," he said. He grabbed Gabriel's hand. "Come with me." AK led him out of the room and toward a stairwell into the lower levels. "So, aren't you excited?"

"For what?" said Gabriel, still a little groggy.

"Your going to be jacking in for the first time since you popped through the placenta."

"What--?" he said before being yanked suddenly to his left.

There were three doors lined up in front of him. AK checked a chart placed between the first and second. "Guess this one's available," he said.

They entered, and Gabriel saw two chairs similar to the ones he had seen onboard the hovercraft, as well as all of the convoluted equipment that spread around them.

"You take the left," he said. "I'll use this one."

As soon as Gabriel sat down, an automated something or other began measuring the back of his head, gently tapping the jack in his skull.

"You'd better hold to something," said AK. "This won't be the most enjoyable feeling in the world..."

Gabriel wasn't quite sure what he meant until a sharp hum entered the back of his brain. His mind felt like half-warm jelly: not quite wobbly, yet thick. He could feel his pupils whiting out -- or was it just his surroundings?

A hand.

A hand waved in and out of his shortened peripheral vision.

"Hello?" said AK.

The child tried to rubbed his eyes, but didn't seem to have any hands to do so.

"Uh oh. What the hell? How did you--?"

But at that moment, everything seemed to finally come together. Gabriel stood in what looked like an open-roofed Greek sanctuary, stretching out in all directions. Bleached support pedestals lined the halls, each with a numerical touchpad and screen.

"Welcome to the Zion Archive," said AK. "Where we store the records of mankind. We've got pretty much everything -- the combined histories of the real and the simulated."

Gabriel was stunned.

"Cool, huh?" He stepped up to a pedestal. "I _was_ going to run a training program for you, but it seems I'm a little short on time." AK pressed a screen. "Come here, and see this."

Gabriel went over and stood beside AK. He saw him press another button, and the wide open sky above them turned an ugly gray.

"Don't get scared, now," he said as the ground abruptly fell away, leaving them to float on nothingness, hundreds of yards in the air. "I'm sure you're familiar with 'the desert'..." He then pointed to a strong, fiery glow in the distance. "But have you ever seen _that_?"

He shook his head.

"That's where you were created, just like me, Roland, Colt, and several thousand others that freed themselves from the machines."

Gabriel suddenly found his voice. "But... if was created by the machines, then I'm not really being freed, am I?"

"Excuse me?" said AK.

The boy took a few wobbly steps backward. "If I am a _child_ of the machines, that must mean you stole me away from them."

"Hey, hey. It's certainly not that simple, Spoony."

"Please stop calling me that," he said, and he walked off.

AK chuckled. "Where are you going? You can't run away from people inside a program! No matter how far you go, you'll still be right next to me in the public processing chamber."

Gabriel didn't seem to care; he was beginning to dislike being toyed with -- at least where his mind was concerned. His mind: that's what he most wanted to have to himself.

"Hey," said AK. "Hungry? You haven't even eaten yet." He began to jog across the sky, trying to catch up with him.

"I already told you, I'm fasting." He was getting aggravated.

"Oh, yeah, sorry. I forgot for a second."

"I hope I don't have to remind anyone else whe--" and then something happened. It felt natural, yet perfectly bizarre at the same time. Gabriel began to fall.

The air suddenly whipped into his face as he dived downward. The ground raced furiously toward him and his mouth contorted into a maddening, frozen scream.

The processing unit shut off. The jack retracted, and Gabriel quickly jumped out of his chair.

AK stared. "I... I've never seen that happen before." His jaw flapped around as he searched for the right words. "Your own... perception of reality just manifested itself into the program. Heh, I don't even think Neo was able to do that on his first try!" He rubbed his forehead. "Heck, you weren't prompted to do so."

Gabriel said nothing.

"Lets just keep this under our hat, okay?" said AK, and they walked out of the chamber, where two other researchers were waiting their turn to enter the archive.


	7. Sven

**Chapter 7: Sven.**

Gabriel wished it would all just slow down.

There were so many faces, events, and emotions in this earthy pit of Zion that it had him in a daze. For so long, his biggest fear was that the totality of the dream world -- the blindingly infinite reality of the digital realm -- would drive him insane. But with careful practice and meditation, he would overcome this obstacle.

But of course, facing the reality of the _human_ world was far more complex.

After finding his way back from the chamber, Gabriel managed to catch up with Pablo as he stepped out of the cafeteria. "Wait, hold on," he insisted, rushing toward him.

"Oh, hey!" said Pablo. "How it goes?"

"Er... fine, thank you."

"Guess you missed out on breakfast, huh?"

"I already told you," said Gabriel. "I'm--"

"Fasting, yeah. But I really think you should eat something. In fact," he reached into his pocket, "I've got bread right here." He gave it over to him.

He reluctantly accepted it, and took a bite.

His mouth suddenly turned on. The bread felt like a full-on feast, a banquet with all the trimmings. The back of Gabriel's throat glistened with delight. Why on earth did he wait so long to experience this?

"Good stuff, huh?" said Pablo.

Gabriel nodded.

"I knew it would be."

He swallowed suddenly. "Did you really?"

"Yeah. I mean, I felt it..." Pablo tugged at his right earlobe nervously. "I could... I don't know. Somehow, I could see you doing this before I even got any bread. Does that make any sense?"

"Perhaps," said Gabriel.

Later, they found themselves in a crudely built activity center. All around them were handmade sports equipment and other playthings that the others could busy themselves with. At the opposite side, the two could see Eiko desperately trying to explain chess to the other children.

"But why can't I move it _here_?" asked Sven. "I want to get that little man."

"First off," said Eiko, "it's a _pawn_. Second, the knight only moves like this." She made an L shape on the board. "Got that?"

Sven blinked with one eye. "I think so." She lifted the piece up to the light. "Oh, I wish my sister were here -- she'd always wanted to teach me."

"What happened to her?" asked Gabriel, joining them.

Eiko moved to the aside to let Pablo and him sit. "They're taking people in by age group," she said. "That's what the nurse on the ship said, anyway."

Sven sighed, twirling her chess piece between her fingers. "I just can't wait to see Sevina again."

"I hope your older sister is good at this game," said Eiko as she swept the pieces off of the board, "because I really need a partner."

"I think I can help with that," said Colt, walking up to the group. "I've played a couple of games in my day."

"Hang on," said Sven. "I heard that your ship already took off. What are you still doing here?"

"Mauser and I are on leave," he explained. "We've been on duty for three months straight, and are entitled to a break."

"All that time," Eiko spoke, "and you couldn't have found someone our age who was an expert in chess?"

Colt smiled. "We haven't freed children your age in quite a while. In this case, you were all in care of the Oracle, and we gathered you all up at the same time."

"We certainly thank you for that," said Sven. "I was getting a little bored waiting in that room."

"Really?" said Colt. "Well, I actually met a few interesting faces while I was there for the first time."

Gabriel thought back to his experience in the waiting room. "Yes, me too. There was the savior Neo, and another. A man in a dark business suit and tie."

Colt suddenly grew pale. "You don't mean... an _agent_?"

Two boys in the back playing billiards suddenly stopped.

"I suppose so," said Gabriel. "He seemed so worried, though."

Colt found himself shaking his head. "Agents don't get worried."

"But he did."

"I don't understand," spoke Sven. "Are agents _bad_?"

"Heh," said Colt. "Agents are the very reason you were _held_ at the Oracle's place, and you don't ever expect one to come waltzing in there unless--"

"Unless they were supposed to," said Pablo.

"Took the words right out of my mouth."

One of the boys placed their pool cues on the table. "Those guys are bad news," he said. "I'm lucky to even be here, alive."

Colt turned to face him. "Oh yeah, you." He smiled. "Why don't you explain how bad agents are?"

The tall, scrawny kid made his way to the group. "Yikes, where do I begin?" He sat next to Gabriel, and instantly recognized the child.

Leaning closer, the young man whispered in his ear. "Did they let you try the training program, like I said?"

"Not exactly," said Gabriel.

"All right, kid," said Colt. "What was that about the agents?"

"Oh, yeah. Those guys are so quick, you wouldn't even tell which way they're going." He did a small gesture of running with his index and middle fingers across the top of the table. "I was really never into sports in school, or anything like that, except skateboarding. But I got away from them."

Colt made a small noise in disagreement. "I think Morpheus said you were extraordinarily light your feet that day. Then again, it might just be how thin you are," he joked.

His bruised ego was plain for all to see.

"Lay off, man," spoke Pablo. "He was in a pod-thing, right?"

"Yeah," said Colt. "But that was a while ago. You'd think he'd build a little muscle by now."

"Aw, forget it," said the emabarassed teenager, getting up. "Just remember that those guys are more than suits." He made it back to the pool game, struck the seven-ball vigorously, an popped it into the far corner pocket in a high arc.

Somewhere, deep inside that awkward shell of a person, Gabriel could see burning anger.

"So," said Eiko, "are we going to play, or what?"

"Yeah," replied Colt, and helped set the pieces for the new game.


End file.
